“Oh, yes, Eleanor,” called Marta, “how many shall we prepare for?”
“Six or eight, I think.”
On the following afternoon, Ann was delighted when her teacher dismissed the last class a little early. She hurried to the Castle and her suite, where she found Marta busy, having the fudge done and the materials for the chocolate ready. “I’ll go to make that while you are talking over everything,” said Marta. “Eleanor has made a dandy lot of sandwiches. She got some cold boiled ham, too, for some, and I made a few peanut butter sandwiches out of that jar that we found in the box. If you will crack a dish of nuts, I think that the feast will be complete.”
“I wish that there were some of those grapes left.”
“They would not have kept, even if we had not eaten them.”
Scarcely had Marta said this when with a warning rap, Aline appeared bearing a china dish heaped with white and red grapes. This she deposited upon the table and sat down to help Ann with the nuts; for there were both the nut-cracker and the little hammer that accompanied the wooden nut bowl in which Ann was putting the nuts.
“The organization of the Scribblers’ Club,” said Aline, “will be quite eclipsed by the celebration.”
“We shall be able to give our minds to it much better for not being starved,” said Ann. “Don’t those grapes look delicious! Where did Eleanor get them?”
“She ordered the things sent out, bread and butter and ham and grapes.”